Seeds of Hope
by Frankie Alton
Summary: Set in present day. It’s been almost ten years since the Planeteers went their separate ways. When old villains reunite with a plan that threatens the entire world can the Planeteers put their differences aside to stop them?
1. Old Enemies, New Plan

Salekhard, Russia

June 10, 2008

It was a warm day outside, or as warm as could be expected for being in Siberia. Dr. Blight felt that she should probably go outside, she had not seen the sun for days. She had been bunkered down in her underground lab for almost a week, working on weapons for various arms dealers she had contact with. But she really had nothing to do if she decided to leave, so she focused on her work instead, hoping the time would pass quickly.

At some point in the afternoon the sterile silence was broken by a message from MAL. "You have a guest, doctor." MAL's computerized voice held no hint to indicate who that guest might be.

Dr. Blight did not look up from her task- a small nuclear warhead she was constructing for a terrorist cell in Iran. The arc from her welding torch reflected off of the stainless steel surfaces of the lab, illuminating the room in a strange blue light. It made her appear very intense as she focused on her project.

"Do you want to let him in, doctor?" MAL asked, sounding strangely impatient for a computer.

Dr. Blight turned off her torch, standing up straight and feeling the vertebra in her back popping as she did so. It was probably some black market arms dealer, looking for one of her brand of devious weapons. She already had enough on her agenda to keep her busy for the next year and she was really not interested in taking on any new projects right now.

"Tell whoever it is that I'm not interested." she said, as she stretched her arms. She sat down at her computer console.

"You might want to know who it is that you're turning away."

"God, MAL! Why don't you go ahead and tell me, I really don't have the patience right now." She sighed in exasperation. She really should have been more particular when developing MAL's Artificial Intelligence programming.

"It's Argos Bleak."

Dr. Blight was silent for a moment. It had been almost a decade since she had dealt with any of the other so-called "eco-villains." Why would Looten Plunder be sending his right hand man to her now?

"Let him in," she said.

"Dr. Barbara Blight, it's been a long time," Argos Bleak said as the heavy steel doors of her lab opened, allowing him to come inside. "Or should I say Dr. Mariya Barishnikov?"

Dr. Blight glared at him. "It's been a lot of work keeping my identity a secret," she said icily. "I really don't appreciate you coming here and endangering my cover like this. If the American government knew where I was…"

"But they think that you're dead, don't they?" Bleak interrupted. "Killed by those do-gooder Planeteers."

Dr. Blight's glare somehow became even colder. "I trust you have something more important to talk about than that," she said, with barely restrained anger. "What does Plunder want this time?"

"Not one for small talk, huh?" Bleak said, sounding amused with himself. He plopped down in one of the chairs in her lab, and kicked his feet up on one of the tables. His heavy combat boots made a loud thud that echoed through the lab as his feet landed.

Dr. Blight frowned at the sight of this camo-clad mercenary making himself at home in her secret hideout. She could see the dirt from his boots getting all over the surfaces that she kept obsessively clean.

"You know, you did quite a job of making yourself scarce, Doc. The Boss had to spend quite a bit of dough tracking you down."

"Did he now?" Dr. Blight seemed uninterested. "He must really want quite a favor from me to spend money like that."

"Nope. He just wants to have dinner with you."

Dr. Blight burst into a fit of uncontrolled laughter. "Ah, yes." She said finally, her voice still shaking. "The richest man in the world can't find a dinner date, so he spends a ton of money sending his mercenary to the middle of Russia to track down someone he hasn't seen in ten years. That makes perfect sense."

Bleak nodded. "Glad you understand." He handed her an envelope that he had carried with him. Inside was a Russian passport with her alias, and a cell phone. "You can call the Boss with that to make arrangements to meet him in Paris. It's a secure line, you won't be traced."

"Hmph. What would make you think I am all that eager to see him?" Dr. Blight asked.

"You've been holed up here in Siberia for almost a decade. He thought you might appreciate a getaway."

Dr. Blight turned the phone over in her hand, considering Bleak's words. It did get incredibly lonely and boring spending day after day in her lab in the middle of nowhere. But she had her reasons for being here as well. Her enemies thought that she was dead, and she preferred keeping it that way. And with all the new anti-terrorism laws that were springing up all over the world in the last couple of years it would be dangerous if anyone knew she was still alive.

After her supposed death nearly ten years ago she had been forced to go into hiding. She called in some favors with some Russian arms dealers she had been supplying to help her come up with a new identity. In exchange she provided them with top of the line weapons technology. And in her spare time she picked up projects for paramilitary groups from Iran to China to Colombia.

"He seems to think that you would want to see him. He already has a private jet standing by at Salekhard Airport for you."

Dr. Blight raised an eyebrow. She could always count on Plunder to be so certain of himself. He was definitely not lacking in self-confidence.

"I'll consider it." she said plainly.

"I'll be at the airport when you decide to show up," Bleak said, standing up and walking to the door.

She waited until a few minutes after Bleak left before she turned on the phone and called Plunder.

Paris, France

June 12, 2008

Plunder's private jet touched town on the runway at Charles De Gaulle airport around 5 p.m. A black Mercedes-Benz CL600 met Dr. Blight to drive her to her room- the Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Paris. The car was incredible, but fortunately not too noticeably ornate for a city like Paris. She had told Plunder to keep things low key, or as inconspicuous as he could manage. He had lost touch with any sense of a bourgeois lifestyle a very long time ago.

As she watched the city streets pass by through the tinted windows of the car, Dr. Blight became uncomfortably aware of the fact that this was the first time she had been out of hiding in nearly a decade. Unconsciously she adjusted her dark glasses and shrank back into the large collar of her fur coat. Fortunately it was a short ride and soon she could retreat to her room.

She was greeted by a very friendly staff. She knew that Plunder had made sure to flaunt his money at them, to tell them to leave no detail unattended.

"Good evening, Ms. Barishnikov. It is so nice to see you," the desk clerk said enthusiastically.

Dr. Blight smiled. She had become accustomed to being greeted by her alias- Mariya Barishnikov, the name on her passport, the name she had been using for several years now.

"Is there anything we can do for you today?" the clerk asked.

"Nyet." she replied, easily slipping into the role she had gotten used to playing. "I am very tired. I would simply like to retire to my suite."

"Of course, Ms. Barishnikov, we will see you to your room immediately."

The room was amazing, of course. Original artwork, a grand piano and a marble bath. There was a large bouquet of flowers setting on the dining room table. They were an assortment of rare and endangered flowers, mostly Amazonian. Dr. Blight recognized all of them except for one. A beautiful red flower that she had never seen before. She had extensive training in botany, among other things, so a new species was exciting to her.

"What do you think?"

She jumped at the voice, her heart pounding. She turned to see Looten Plunder standing in the doorway to the bedroom, a stupid grin plastered on his face.

"Christ, Looten! You scared the hell out of me!" She yelled.

"Well, that would be quite an accomplishment," he quipped, folding his arms across his chest and leaning on the doorframe.

"Glad to see you're still as charming as ever," Dr. Blight said wryly.

"And I'm glad to see you're still as stunning as ever. The years have treated you well, Doc."

"Better living through chemistry," Dr. Blight replied. "And the girls in school made fun of me for liking science glass. I wonder if they would still be laughing now."

Dr. Blight really did look good for her age. She had developed cosmetics that kept her looking a decade younger. It's too bad the stupid Planeteers had shut down her last attempt in the cosmetics industry, she would have the top company in the world by now. She frowned a little at the thought.

"What's wrong?" Plunder asked.

"Nothing, just thinking," she replied. "You're not looking too bad yourself," she said, not wanting to think about the past at the moment. "I like the new look."

Plunder was obviously happy with the compliment. He had traded in his green suit for a black Armani, custom tailored. It fit him perfectly. He was actually quite handsome, tall and thin with bright blue eyes. Dr. Blight had always enjoyed working with him far more than any of the other eco-villains, even though she had never bothered to tell him that. She figured his ego did not need any more inflation.

"And your new look is very… Russian," he joked, referring to her long mink coat and mink _ushanka_.

Dr. Blight decided to ignore the comment. As much as she loved her trademark pink jumpsuit she thought that it would call a little too much attention to herself. She decided to make fun of him instead. "So I saw on CNN the other day that Plunder Industries is going green… Turning over a new leaf then are we?" Dr. Blight teased.

"Hmph. Hardly," Plunder snorted. "It's what sells. Slap an 'organic' or 'recycled' label on a product and yuppie saps are suddenly willing to pay three times the price for it. It's all about the money, Doc."

"So your products aren't really organic or recycled?" Dr. Blight grinned, already knowing the answer to that question.

"What do you think?" He laughed, sounding somewhere between condescending and malicious. "These people just want to feel good about themselves. They love to consume just as much as anyone else, but making them think that somehow they helped save the earth in the process alleviates some of the guilt. They really don't care enough to read beyond the label. People are gullible… and selfish. It's two things I can count on in my work."

Dr. Blight nodded. Those were two things you could count on in general. But she was not really in the mood to discuss human nature with Looten Plunder right now. As much as he could be charming and conversational she knew him well enough to know that he had an agenda in inviting her here tonight.

"So what is it you want from me?" she asked curtly, not really being the type to hold back what she was thinking.

"I thought Argos told you," he said smoothly. "A nice dinner in Paris, a chance to get away…"

"Can it, Plunder. You and I both know I'm not going to fall for that." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him impatiently.

Plunder frowned slightly. So much for a night of polite conversation. "I have a new project in the works, one that stands to make billions. But I need your scientific genius to make it happen."

"Of course," she said. "You're certain you couldn't just pay off some other scientist to do this job? Is it really that important that you have me on board?" She had been laying low for years now, and really had no interest in making a comeback.

"You're the only one who can pull this off. Not only are you the most brilliant scientist that I have ever met, but you also aren't plagued by all those pathetic ethical constraints that seem to hold back others."

Dr. Blight made a strange face. "Ethical constraints… I used to be all about ethics in science, you know. I wrote a thesis paper about ethics in college. It was published in several journals. Then…"

Her voice trailed off and she seemed lost in thought. "Then what?" Plunder prompted.

"Then I realized that progress has a cost. Somebody somewhere has to pay. No matter how ethical anyone may claim to be they are still harming someone. People are selfish by nature, as you've already pointed out."

"Exactly. That's why I need you, someone who sees things my way… at least for the most part."

"What do you mean by that?" Dr. Blight said, sounding curious.

"You don't really seem to care about the money side of things. You invent things in your spare time that are twenty years ahead of conventional science. You could be making billions."

"I could be," Dr. Blight said with disinterest.

"Then why not?" Plunder asked, sounding rather confused.

Dr. Blight paused for a moment. "I didn't get into science for the money."

Plunder snorted. "Then for what? The betterment of mankind? The search for knowledge?"

"Oh, please," Dr. Blight rolled her eyes. "You know me better than that. I've never been altruistic a day in my life. I did it for myself. To prove that I was better than anyone thought I could be. Everybody thought of me as the pretty blonde, the airhead, the cheerleader type. My sister cashed in on that stereotype, but I always knew I could do more. And I did. Top of my class. Drafted by the government to work on their top secret biological weapons program."

Plunder watched Dr. Blight as she explained herself. He could hear her voice becoming more passionate, he could see a gleam of anger in her eyes. He felt like pushing her just a little more. Stirring up that anger was just what he needed to get her onboard with his new scheme. "Sounds like you were pretty successful… what happened?"

Dr. Blight glared at him angrily. Finally she answered him, her voice sounding strained. "I was stabbed in the back by the people I dedicated my life too. I was so young, so idealistic. I never thought my own government would betray me, the prodigy scientist. Ha."

Plunder thought about pushing it a little further, but decided against it. He needed her to be on his side, and she was just at the point where his plan should be an easy sale.

"There is some wine chilling in the other room. Let's have a seat and talk," Plunder suggested amicably.

Blight nodded and followed him to the seating area. There were some very nice chairs in front of a large picture window. She took off her coat and hat and had a seat across from Plunder, who had already poured them both a glass of wine.

Dr. Blight swirled the wine in her glass, admiring its deep red color. The aroma of the wine was strong and complex. She was certain it would be amazing, Plunder would not settle for anything but the best.

She savored the taste of the wine for a moment before speaking. "So what is it you're into this time? Human cloning? Genetically modified livestock?"

"Biological warfare."

Dr. Blight's eyes flashed with intrigue. "Something you plan on selling to world governments?"

"Even better," he said, pausing to take a sip of wine. "Something that only I have the cure for."

"You're talking about bioterrorism?" Dr. Blight's voice was not judgmental, only curious.

"Call it what you'd like. They'll pay me for the cure, or they'll be in a lot of trouble."

"What about when someone else discovers a cure?"

"They won't." he said confidently. He pulled a leather bound portfolio from his briefcase and handed it to her. "This explains everything."

Dr. Blight opened the folder, her eyes quickly scanning across the pages inside. Plunder watched her to gauge her reaction, but she was a hard person to read. Finally she closed the folder and set it down on the end table next to her chair.

She looked him in the eye and asked seriously, "Is this plan really about making billions, or is it about revenge?"

"Both. Mostly the money, the revenge aspect is just an added bonus." He gave her his most charming smile.

Dr. Blight had to smile herself. Plunder always knew what buttons to push. He knew she didn't care about money, but revenge was another thing altogether. Her mind wandered for a minute as she considered things she had not thought about in a long time.

She thought about the Planeteers, the group of goody-goody environmentalists that had left her for dead. For years she had dreamed about repaying them for all the pain they had caused her. She had let them think she was dead, knowing that it would leave her the perfect opportunity to strike later, totally unexpected.

Plunder had apparently been keeping track of the little brats for the last ten years. He had info on their whereabouts, what they had been doing. And he had them all exactly where he wanted, not surprising for a man with his resources and determination.

Plunder's plan was intriguing as well. A chance for her to get back to her "first love": biological weapons. She had not created anything this insidious for a long time. She was up for a challenge. Making weapons for the black market had kept her solvent but it had been for the most part rather boring. A chance to create a super virus was incredibly appealing.

"I'll do it," she said finally.

"I thought you would agree," Plunder said with a smile. "I already have a lab set up for you in Sao Paulo. You can head there whenever you like."

"You really don't ever plan on being rejected do you?" Dr. Blight teased.

"I never have been. Why waste time planning for something that's not going to happen?"

Dr. Blight sighed. She had forgotten exactly how egotistical Plunder could be. But working with him was still more interesting that being holed up in a lab in the middle of the frozen Russian tundra with only MAL to keep her company. And thought of going to Brazil was amazing. She hadn't had a tan in over a decade.

She leaned back in her chair and took another sip of wine. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander. This would be her best project ever, especially when she got her revenge on the Planeteers…

* * *

Author's notes (just in case anyone cares): This is a story I have been wanting to write for a long time (translation: years) It's been a while since I've actually seen the show, but hopefully I got all the details right. I have always wanted to write a serious story for CP, one that gets a little more into the characters, their motivations and personalities. I thought the eco-villains would be more interesting if they were closer to human, not just some crazy people who wanted to pollute the earth for no good reason. And I thought it would be good to show the Planeteers grown up, to see how they deal with adult life, to give them some human weaknesses so they're not just perfect over-achievers.

Anyway, now that we have seen what the eco-villains are up to (or at least two of them) the next chapter will reveal what's been going on with the Planeteers for the last decade. Hope everyone enjoyed Chapter One!


	2. Life Moves On

Author's note: Thank you so very much to everyone who reviewed Chapter 1. I really need the encouragement, I tend to be pretty insecure about my writing. And thanks to Bladecutter25 for the tip on finding the episodes on YouTube. Now on to Chapter 2, I hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

Charles City, Virginia

July 15, 2008

Wheeler turned his red Honda Civic Hybrid onto the road that led to his sub-division, Eden Acres. The community was unique- on the surface it looked like most any other suburban neighborhood, but it was actually an experiment in eco-friendly living. The thousands of acres of land situated on the Chickahominy River used to house a boy scout camp, but had now been converted into Eden Acres. The houses were designed to work with the topography of the land, prevent needless bulldozing and clear-cutting. They were built so the windows maximized winter sunlight and kept the house cooler in the summer. The homes were all outfitted with solar panels that provided most of the energy.

The neighborhood was fun to live in as well. There were community gardens and recycling programs. People were fairly friendly with their neighbors and there was at least one community wide event per week.

Overall, Wheeler was pretty happy with his life. Things had gone well for him since the Planeteers had disbanded. He and Linka stayed together, and were now married. He kept in contact with Gi and Kwame, who were living together in South Africa. Ma-ti, however, he had not seen since they had parted ways almost a decade ago. Ma-ti had given up hope in modern society, deciding to return to his tribe deep in the Amazon jungle.

Wheeler pulled into the driveway of the house he shared with Linka. Their neighbors, Skye and Shanti were next door, working in their garden.

"Heya, Wheeler! How's it goin'?" Skye called, stopping his weeding for a moment.

"It's going great," Wheeler answered. He walked across his driveway to the border with his neighbor's yard. "I just got approval from the board of directors to add some more gardens in the southeast part of the neighborhood."

Wheeler was the manager of Eden Acres, a job that he had been offered due to his background as one of the famous Planeteers. Of course after what had happened he was not certain that was a good thing to claim. He tried to downplay it, never mentioning it to anyone in the neighborhood. Skye had somehow figured it out, but he agreed to keep it quiet as a favor to Wheeler.

"That's great, man," Shanti said enthusiastically. She was sitting on the ground working in a flower patch, looking very pregnant. Shanti's given name was Stephanie, but she decided to change it after becoming a Buddhist. She looked every bit a hippie- long wavy hair, long flowing skirts, henna tattoos.

"It's about time to have that baby, isn't it?" Wheeler said with a smirk.

"Still two weeks left to go" she said. "And in this heat, its gonna be a long two weeks."

Shanti and Skye already had one child. A rambunctious two-year old son they called Cloud. He had a head full of bright red hair. He almost looked like he could be Wheeler's son, which was the source of many jokes around the neighborhood.

When Cloud heard Wheeler's voice he ran excitedly over to his "uncle." Wheeler scooped the boy up in his arms, and lifted him over his head. "How's it going, little man?" he asked. Cloud replied with a shriek of laughter, loving the attention.

Playing with his neighbors' son made Wheeler happy, but at the same time left him feeling empty and sad. He and Linka had yet to have any children of their own even though Wheeler really wanted to start a family. However every time he mentioned it to Linka she had some reason why it was not time yet. In the last couple of months it had become a huge source of contention between the two of them. Now that she had finished earning her doctorate degree Wheeler could not see any reason why they could not start a family together.

"Wheeler, glad too see you're home." Linka's voice interrupted Wheeler's thoughts.

Wheeler set Cloud down, and turned to see Linka standing in the driveway behind him. "Hey, babe," he said, giving her a quick kiss. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course, don't I always?" she teased. Wheeler noticed something strange in her voice, but he pretended to ignore it.

"Is dinner ready?" Wheeler asked eagerly.

"_Da._ Is that all that men care about?" she answered sarcastically. She could hear her neighbors snicker.

"Only if you're the one who cooks the dinner."

Linka rolled her eyes. Wheeler still had a bad habit of not really thinking before speaking. She turned and walked back to the house.

"Well, guess I'll see you later," Wheeler said to his neighbors as he followed his wife inside.

The table was already set. Linka had made a salad and stir fry with vegetables from their backyard garden. Wheeler still had not really gotten used to the vegan lifestyle, but he knew it was better for the earth so he learned to deal with it. He tried not to look disappointed.

"Not what you were hoping for?" Linka teased.

"You don't think we could have cheeseburgers every once in a while?" He tried to be charming, but did not quite accomplish it.

They were silent for a moment as they ate. "So… have you thought about that job in Brazil?" Wheeler tried to sound natural, but he sounded really uncomfortable. He knew that Linka did not like the idea of him leaving for two months, but they could really use the money.

Linka sighed. "You know I don't really want you to go… But that money could go a long way in paying off my student loans." She looked at Wheeler for a moment. "I think you should go. It will be hard but it is probably a wise decision."

Wheeler was surprised that she actually consented. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course I mean it!" she said, sounding slightly offended. Then realizing that she was probably overreacting she softened her tone. "I can handle your duties here while you're gone. And I have Skye and Shanti to help me if I need it."

Wheeler smiled. "You're the best, babe. I'm really gonna miss you."

"Me too," she said. "Let's not talk about it."

They ate the rest of their dinner quietly, though the mood was definitely more relaxed now. Wheeler was glad to be able to take the consultant job in Brazil. The company that owned Eden Acres was looking into setting up something similar there, along the edge of the Amazon jungle. A eco-friendly resort community. After seeing the success of Wheeler's neighborhood they decided they wanted to bring him in on the project. It meant two months away from home, but they were going to compensate him well for it.

"I guess I'm going to call and tell them I'm taking the job," Wheeler said after he helped Linka clean up the dishes.

"Hurry up, before I change my mind," Linka said playfully, giving her husband a big kiss.

"I'm on it," Wheeler said, pulling out his iPhone. He scrolled though his contacts to find the project coordinator, Dr. Mariya Barishnikov. "Hello…" he said happily. "Yes, I'm calling to let you know I'll be taking the job."

Johannesburg, South Africa

July 16, 2008

Gi clutched her stomach as she ran to the bathroom for the third time that morning. She had been sick every morning for the past week. She did not want to admit what the problem was, but it was clearly obvious. She did not need her MD to figure this one out.

After a moment her stomach calmed down and she sank to the floor next to the toilet. She felt tears rolling down her eyes. How could this happen? She had been so careful. She was a physician, she knew how these things worked. She took her pill at the same time every day, religiously.

She sighed deeply before standing up to retrieve the at-home test she had purchased from the pharmacy the day before. She was pretty certain what the answer was going to be, but she figured she might as well get it over with and be certain about it.

Waiting for the results of the test was like slow torture. It only took three minutes, but Gi could feel her stomach tensing and head throbbing.

She was pregnant.

Now that she knew that for a fact came the truly difficult part: what to tell Kwame. They had reunited after Gi had finished medical school, and he was finishing his doctorate in anthropology. The couple had been living together for almost two years now, much to the dismay of Gi's very traditional family. Her family pressed her constantly to get married to him, but Kwame had no interest in that.

Wheeler had cautioned her about getting together with Kwame. Wheeler had said that he just couldn't see it. He said that they were both lonely and that their relationship was about filling a void, not because they really loved each other.

Of course, Gi had been furious with Wheeler at the time, and did not hold back in telling him just how angry she was. But looking back on it now she could see Wheeler's point. She had just been dumped by her boyfriend of almost a year. On top of that she had been feeling pressure from her family, that she was getting older, and it was time for her to find a husband.

Kwame was in the last year of his doctoral program at the University of Richmond when Gi got accepted to the VCU School of Medicine for her residency, only a few miles away from Kwame's apartment. It was only natural they would spend time together, being old friends. After all that had happened in their lives there were few people aside from the Planeteers that would understand.

So that had been it. A combination of loneliness, family pressure and mutual understanding. It was really too late for her to consider any of that now though. She had followed Kwame to Johannesburg and was now somehow pregnant with his child, despite all of her precautions.

"Gi, are you in there?" It was Kwame's voice, coming from the other side of the bathroom door. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, trying to sound convincing, but her voice was shaky from crying.

"You don't sound fine."

"I said I'm okay." her voice was a little more assertive this time.

Kwame was silent for a moment. "Do you really think that I haven't figured it out?" He said finally.

"Figured what out?" Gi knew exactly what he meant, but she was hoping that somehow she was wrong.

"You've been sick every morning this week. I don't think it's the flu." Kwame spoke in his usual matter-of-fact tone.

Gi did not know how to respond. She sat on the floor quietly for another few minutes, trying to gather her thoughts and calm her mind. Nervously she played with her ring, which now hung from a chain around her neck. Things were so much simpler then…

Finally she stood up and opened the door to the bathroom to find Kwame waiting outside, his arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, you figured it out," she said. She sat down on the edge of the bed, still looking a little nauseous.

"How could this happen? You're on birth control."

"I know, I don't understand either," Gi answered. "I took them everyday, I never miss."

"Hmm." Kwame seemed to be considering something. "Are you sure you did not miss a pill?"

"Of course I'm sure. Don't you think I would have noticed when I got to the end of the month and there were pills left in the pack?"

Kwame frowned a little. "Of course you would have noticed. You're a doctor after all. You know about these things. You know that there is no way you could get pregnant if you took the pills just like you are supposed to."

Gi noticed something accusatory in Kwame's voice. "What… what are you trying to say?"

"You have been putting the pressure on for us to get married for months now. And suddenly you are pregnant, even though you are on the pill."

Gi's face grew dark and her eyes narrowed as she glared at Kwame. "You think I did this on purpose?"

"I'm saying it's a possibility…"

"How dare you!" Gi screamed. She jumped up from the bed. "You think that I am the kind of person that would do that!"

"I think…"

"You know what? I don't care what you think! I don't know why I ever came here with you." Gi was livid, and the pregnancy hormones that were now surging through her body did not help the situation.

"Maybe you can go back to your family in Japan. I'm sure they would accept you pregnant and unwed."

Gi was almost too angry to form coherent words now. "You… you…" she stuttered before screaming and running out of the room. She was in tears by the time she reached the hallway of their apartment building.

How could this happen? She and Kwame were the solid ones in the group. The serious, down to earth ones. Linka and Wheeler were the hot-headed ones. Yet they were happily married, while she and Kwame had fights that seemed to grow more spiteful every day.

After a few minutes of sitting on the floor, knees curled into her chest, she managed to stop the tears. Once she felt composed enough to speak she pulled out her phone to call Linka. She needed someone to talk to, and she was not ready to tell her mother about this yet. In fact, she considered never telling her mother at all.

"Gi! I haven't heard from you in so long!" Linka sounded excited when she answered the phone.

"Linka," Gi said, her voice wavering.

"Gi, what's the matter?" Linka asked with concern, immediately realizing something was wrong.

"Linka," Gi sobbed. "I'm pregnant."

Xingú, Brazil

July 16, 2008

There were more developers trying to encroach on the Kayapo Reservation. It was the talk of Ma-ti's village. He was often the one sent to deal with such things since he had lived among the "white man" for so long. He was growing tired of it though.

This new development was supposed to be an "eco-friendly resort," whatever that meant. He doubted that it could be anywhere near as eco-friendly as his people, who lived off the land, taking only what they needed and replacing what they took.

When he left the Planeteers he only wanted to return to his homeland. To live simply with his people, in harmony with nature. He was done trying to solve things through diplomacy, money, power, governmental control or any of the other solutions Western culture had come up with.

Since returning he had been studying the ways of the shaman intensely. Thanks to the Heart power given to him by Gaia he had developed a very keen sense of the flow of nature. He used his powers of communicating with animals to find out what was happening all over the jungle. Anytime a shady corporation tried to move in he was the first to know about. His advantage had helped to shut down many harmful operations before they ever made it off the ground.

Recently he had begun to have a sense that there was something very wrong happening around him. It started as a subtle anxiety, something that he did not quite notice. It lingered on the edges of his mind, in a way that he was only barely conscious of. But in the past few weeks the feelings had intensified. He had started having dreams, of a great destruction in his homeland.

Today he retreated deep into the forest, far away from his tribe. He wanted to meditate, to go into a trance. He knew that he could communicate with Gaia if he focused hard enough, and she would be able to explain what was happening.

He sat underneath the shade of a very large tree. Folding his legs and closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to relax. He focused on his breathing, inhaling slowly and deeply.

It did not take long for him to enter into a trance. His mind had become very disciplined over the past ten years.

_Mati_. It was Gaia's voice.

_Gaia. What is happening?_

_Your enemies want revenge on you._

_Show me_, Ma-ti said. He was not quite ready for the images that flooded through his mind: deforestation, epidemics, major cities in anarchy. And in the middle of it all two old enemies, Looten Plunder and Dr. Blight. The scenes were too much for him to bear and he snapped out of the trance.

Could Dr. Blight really still be alive? They had all assumed that she was dead. After all, who could possibly survive a nuclear explosion?

If she really were still alive then they were all in trouble. She had been plotting her revenge for nearly a decade, and Ma-ti was certain that she would not be merciful. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back to rest against the tree trunk as his mind drifted to a time ten years ago…

* * *

Well, that's it for Chapter 2. I'm amazed I got it finished today. I've been very busy, but I've been writing every free second trying to get it out of my head before it gets away. Tune in next time as we travel back 10 years ago to see what happened to break up the Planeteers.


	3. 10 Years Ago

10 years ago

The Planeteers had been a team for almost eight years. In some ways it seemed that it had not been that long ago that Gaia had summoned them to help her protect the earth. But at the same time, they were getting older and they were starting to feel the pressure from their families and society to "get a real job." They were thinking about the future, about colleges, careers, marriages, families. And they were starting to clash with increasing frequency.

When they had first started as a team, Kwame had been the natural leader. He was older than the rest of them, for one thing. And he was level headed and calm, a good decision maker who was able to pull the team together. But as time went on and the Planeteers grew older they began to challenge Kwame's position- especially Wheeler.

Wheeler had always felt insecure around the other Planeteers. He felt like he got treated like the dumb one. He always felt that his ideas were not respected by the other members of the team. Lately he had begun to become more vocal about his point of view, and was trying harder to influence the others to his line of thinking. It had lead to more than one confrontation with Kwame.

Today they were on a mission to stop a joint effort between Looten Plunder, Dr. Blight and Duke Nukem. The three of them had set up a nuclear reactor on a small island in the South Pacific to refine uranium for making bombs. Apparently they were going to sell them to third world nations with unstable governments. Not only would that make them millions, but in the aftermath of the inevitable devastation Plunder would show up to offer aid- at a price of course.

The atmosphere in the Geo-cruiser was tense as the team made their way to the island. Wheeler had managed to not only get in a fight with Kwame that morning, but with Linka as well. Gi and Ma-ti were wisely choosing to remain quiet and uninvolved.

"We're almost there," Gi announced finally, sounding rather relieved. "Just about ten more minutes."

"So what's the plan this time?" Wheeler asked, sounding a little confrontational.

"I think we need to see what's happening before we develop a plan," Kwame said calmly.

"Let's just take them out. I say we get there, call the Captain and let him destroy their whole operation. And this time we make sure they all get captured and thrown into jail. For good." Wheeler was tired of dealing with the "eco-villains." It seemed they only stopped them just to have them pop up a few weeks later somewhere else with another devious plan. There were enough other sources of pollution in the world to deal with without worrying about a handful of psychopaths like them.

"I don't think we should run in there, guns blazing," Gi said. "We need to examine things first, just like Kwame said."

"She's right," Ma-ti added. "It could be a trap. Dr. Blight has tricked us before in order to capture Captain Planet. Remember that time in Antarctica…"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember." Wheeler interrupted. He looked as if he could continue but Linka gave him a warning look. He sighed and slumped back into his seat. Another idea shot down.

"Those pesky Planeteers have landed on our island," MAL announced to Dr. Blight and her companions as they stood in the control room of the power plant.

"How is it they always know what we are doing?" Duke Nukem growled.

"Who knows?" Plunder said in exasperation. "Let's just finish them off this time, then we won't have to deal with them anymore."

"Sound's wonderful," Dr. Blight said maliciously. "This time I have a plan that will take care of Captain Planet once and for all."

"Just like all the other brilliant plans you've come up with, Doctor?" Duke Nukem asked, not sounding convinced.

Dr. Blight gave him a dirty look. "You should have more faith in me."

"I have faith in you, Doc," Plunder said diplomatically. "But maybe we ought to put an end to the Planeteers before they summon their Captain. Just in case."

"Yeah, I'm with him." Nukem said, folding his arms across his chest.

Dr. Blight looked furious. "Don't you even want to hear my plan?"

"Of course we do," Plunder said. "Go ahead and tell us."

Dr. Blight did not look convinced, but she went ahead with her spiel anyway. "I've perfected a special concentrated pollution formula that is sure to take out Captain Planet."

"You mean that one that smells like roses?" Plunder asked, sounding confused.

"It doesn't smell like roses anymore! Like I said, I perfected it!" She seemed pretty livid now. "Just wait til he shows up, then you'll see!"

"Looks like we're not going to have to wait long. The Planeteers are here!" Nukem announced, pointing at the security monitors.

"Hmph. Let them in, I'll take care of them," Plunder said. There was a hint of something malicious in his voice.

The Planeteers were amazed when the steel doors of the reactor room opened for them. "Did you think we were not prepared for you brats to show up?" Dr. Blight asked, followed by her characteristic laugh and sigh.

"Yeah, this time we're going to take care of you nature nuts once and for all," Nukem added with sinister laugh.

Plunder did not say anything. He looked strangely anxious. There was something dark in his eyes as he glared at the Planeteers.

"We know what you losers are up to, and you might as well go ahead and give up now," Wheeler yelled. He could see some of the other Planeteers roll their eyes at him.

"What we're up to is running a legitimate business. We have a permit from the government to operate this nuclear power plant, and what you are doing is trespassing on private property. So unless you have some legitimate business I would suggest leaving before we call the authorities," Plunder replied smugly.

"What you are really trying to do is enrich uranium for making nuclear warheads!" Gi said angrily.

"Oh, really? I suppose you have some actual proof of that?" Plunder asked. The Planeteers were silent. "I didn't think so. That's alright, I already took the liberty of calling the authorities. You would be surprised how quickly they respond when a group of suspicious looking people are trying to break into a nuclear facility."

The Planeteers looked up at the row of security monitors to see a large group of what appeared to be commandos approaching the facility.

"No way!" Wheeler said. "He's not gonna turn this around to make us look like the bad guys."

"What are we going to do? Those commandos will be here any minute." Linka asked nervously.

"I think there is only one thing we can do," Ma-ti said. The others looked at him knowingly.

"Then let our powers combine…" Kwame began in his usual manner. "Earth!"

"Fire!" Wheeler yelled holding up his hand.

Before Linka had a chance to use her ring a shot rang out through the room. Linka crumpled to the floor, bleeding profusely. There was a moment of all out confusion before anyone figured out what was going on.

Plunder stood across the room, holding a Beretta M9 pistol in his hand. He seemed to be almost as shocked as everyone else. He was used to letting his mercenaries do his dirty work for him. His hand was a little shaky as he held on to the firearm.

Wheeler did not seem to notice Plunder at first. He ran over to Linka, kneeling on the floor next to her. "Linka, babe, are you okay?"

Linka moaned softly, but that was her only response.

"Who…" Wheeler started to ask angrily, when he looked up to see Plunder and Blight standing above them on a platform. Plunder was still holding the gun in his hand.

"You son of a…" Wheeler growled, now overcome with anger.

"Hey, great shot Plunder, I didn't think you had it in you," Nukem said with a hearty laugh. Dr. Blight was silent as she stared at Plunder with a bizarre mixture of shock, admiration and concern.

"This time you've gone too far, Plunder!" Wheeler screamed. He aimed his ring at the platform where Plunder was standing. "FIRE!" he yelled.

The jet of flames melted several support beams of the platform, causing it to nearly snap off the wall. Dr. Blight slipped and fell nearly 12 feet to the concrete floor below, landing with a sickening thud. Plunder managed to hang on to a railing but he dropped his gun in the process. Several large chunks of metal came crashing down into the control panels below.

"This is it. This time I'm putting a stop to your schemes once and for all." Wheeler's eyes flashed with anger.

"Wheeler, don't give in to your anger." It was Ma-ti's voice. It barely registered in Wheeler's mind though. He held out his hand, as if to use his ring again when he felt Kwame's hand on his arm.

"Wheeler, you're going to cause a disaster," Kwame said, his usually calm voice sounding tense. That seemed to snap Wheeler back to reality more than Ma-ti's words. There were warning lights flashing, and the gauges on the control panels all seemed to be dangerously headed toward red.

Wheeler relaxed his arm, though his fist was still clenched. He turned his attention to Gi, who was attempting to control the bleeding from Linka's chest. "We've got to get out of here. She needs to get to a hospital fast," Gi said anxiously.

"Good idea," Wheeler said. "You guys get her to the Geo-cruiser. I'll finish things up here."

"Wheeler, you don't have time to worry about them, you need to leave!" Kwame said.

"Fine then. Leave me here." He was resolute.

The others looked at him worriedly. "We'll give you five minutes," Kwame said. "But we cannot delay getting Linka to the hospital."

"That's all I need," he said as he made his way toward Plunder.

As the other Planeteers carried Linka out of the building Wheeler heard the voice of someone he had forgotten about- Duke Nukem.

"Too bad about your girlfriend," Nukem said, laughing.

Wheeler spun around to face the radioactive villain. "You think that's amusing?" Wheeler's voice was dark.

"I think it's amazing a trust fund, pretty boy like Plunder actually had the nerve to do what someone should have done a long time ago. And now I'm going to finish you off." Nukem shot a blast of radiation towards Wheeler, who ducked behind a counter to avoid being hit. The blast hit a computer station instead.

"Nukem are you crazy? You're gonna blow this place up!" Plunder screamed. He had made his way off of the dangling platform and was kneeling next to Dr. Blight, who had not moved since she had fallen off of the platform.

"Do you think I care?" Nukem asked. "A nuclear explosion sounds wonderful to me."

"That wasn't the plan…"

"Yeah, the plan was to make you lots of money right? Maybe Plunder Industries can start specializing in nuclear decontamination instead."

"You double crossing…"

Wheeler took advantage of the in fighting between his enemies to make his way across the control room and retrieve the gun that had fallen to the floor. He picked it up in his hands and aimed it towards Plunder. It felt odd to hold a weapon like that. His hands were a little shaky.

"Apparently you're not the only one who's decided to step up the game, Plunder," Nukem said, motioning towards Wheeler.

Plunder looked up at Wheeler, who was glaring at him. "I doubt you even know how to use that."

"Do you want to find out?" Wheeler yelled. The room was growing increasingly louder as various alarms and warning signals were sounding. Wheeler was breathing heavily as he contemplated the options before him. As much as he wanted to see Plunder punished for harming Linka he could not bring himself to pull the trigger. There was something in him that would not allow him to shoot an unarmed man.

"Ha, I didn't think you had it in you," Plunder said with a smirk.

"Get up, you're coming with me. I'm going to make sure that you are brought to justice this time." Wheeler tried to sound as intimidating as possible, but the nervous sweat running down his face was ruining the effect.

Plunder rolled his eyes. "Please. Just give it up. You and I both know…"

"Don't worry, I'll help," Nukem interrupted Plunder's tirade. He shot another blast of radiation towards Wheeler. This time it hit the main control panel.

"You fool!" Plunder yelled.

That blast was finally enough to set off a deadly chain reaction. The room was plunged into darkness, illuminated only by dim emergency lighting and flashing red lights. "Five minutes until core meltdown," MAL announced.

Wheeler lunged for Plunder, pinning him to the ground. "You're coming with me!"

"Fine!" Plunder yelled in exasperation. "Do you really think I want to stay here?"

Wheeler grabbed Plunder's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go," Wheeler ordered.

"What about Dr. Blight?" Plunder asked.

"What about her? She's already dead," Wheeler said without a hint of sympathy. It was not as if she did not deserve it after all that she had done.

"You're not really gonna leave her for dead, are you?" Plunder asked, sounding appalled.

"What other choice do we have, this place is going nuclear in five minutes!" Wheeler yelled.

Plunder turned around, as if to go after Dr. Blight. "Oh no you don't," Wheeler yelled, grabbing him by the arm. Wheeler's fingers dug so deeply into his flesh that it sent a flash of pain down Plunder's arm. "This time you're coming with us. You're going to pay for your actions!"

"What? You're crazy, let me go!" Plunder screamed, struggling against Wheeler's grip.

"No way," Wheeler argued. "Somebody's gotta pay for this." Later he would regret this decision. He could have found a way to bring Dr. Blight along too. But at the time he was too focused on revenge and escape.

He kept dragging Plunder along, who now looked helplessly back at Dr. Blight's lifeless form on the floor. "Babs!" he called anxiously.

Wheeler was too focused on escaping to notice Dr. Blight's fingers move slightly. It did not escape Plunder's notice however. "She's still alive, you have to…"

His voice faded away as the heavy metal doors of the containment room slammed shut. Dr. Blight regained some level of consciousness, even though her mind still felt fuzzy. As she watched the containment doors close she knew that there was only one place left for her to go.

Dr. Blight pushed herself up onto her elbows, pain shooting from her arms up through her shoulders as she did so. She gasped, not quite strong enough to muster an actual scream. There was broken glass all over the floor that dug into her palms as she tried to push herself up.

"God damn those Planeteers," she hissed, her voiced strained with pain.

She glanced at the wall of gauges above her. She had less than five minutes to get herself to the blast proof bunker. At least she hoped it was blast proof, but assuming she actually made it she would find out soon enough.

Grabbing a hold of a railing, she managed to stand herself up. She made her way down the narrow corridor that led away from the reactor to the lab. The flashing red warning lights coupled with a slight concussion were making her feel incredibly dizzy.

"You've got two minutes and 12 seconds left before meltdown," MAL's computerized voice informed her.

Normally she would have some sarcastic comment to yell at the computer, but it was taking all that she had just to focus on walking. It seemed that every part of her body was in pain. Her hands were leaving trails of blood on the wall as she tried to steady herself. She could feel some kind of fluid running out of her nose and ears, which was never a good thing.

She could see the doorway to the reinforced bunker now. "One minute left to meltdown." She could still make it. A sudden surge of adrenaline helped her push the rest of the way down the hall.

She never would know how close she came to not making it. As soon as the door to the bunker closed she passed out, her body exhausted from having exerted every bit of energy it possessed.

Once Wheeler made it to the Geo-cruiser, Plunder in tow, they wasted no time getting out of there. Even pushing the aircraft to top speed they did not totally escape the shockwave created by the blast.

"Hold on!" Gi screamed, attempting to navigate through the shockwave. The plane was shaking furiously, enough to make everyone on board very worried for their safety.

"Do you morons really think this solar powered piece of fiberglass is gonna make it through a nuclear blast?" Plunder screamed.

"You know, maybe we should have left you there!" Wheeler yelled back, furious.

"Why not? You left Dr. Blight there to die…" Plunder said darkly. "It doesn't matter whether you kill one person or two… It still makes you a killer."

Wheeler jumped up from his seat, fist clenched, arm drawn back. "I really don't want to hear you accuse me of anything! You tried to kill Linka, and you should be glad you didn't or you would be dead right now."

"Well then, I guess we're not so different are we? We're both willing to kill when it suits us."

Wheeler, finally unable to control the rage that had been building inside swung hard at Plunder, hitting him squarely in the jaw. Plunder could not say that he didn't see it coming, but it was worth it to get under Wheeler's skin like that. He was pretty sure his jaw was broken, and he could taste blood in his mouth. "Nice hit, I didn't think you had it in you," Plunder snapped. He was not about to let up now, he was enjoying being so cruel.

Wheeler probably would have done some serious damage to Plunder then, if Kwame and Ma-ti had not held him back. "Wheeler, you know this isn't going to solve anything," Ma-ti said in his usual "violence is not the answer" way.

"Yeah, well it will make me feel a hell of a lot better!" Wheeler yelled, struggling to get at Plunder.

"Will you all calm down!" Gi yelled. "It's hard enough to navigate without all of you moving around in here."

"Fine." Wheeler said with a huff. "Plunder will get what he deserves when he rots in jail for the rest of his miserable life."

"Don't count on in it," Plunder said. "You may have youthful idealism, but I have friends in high places. We'll see who wins in the end."

It took everything he had in him to keep Wheeler from lashing out at Plunder again. Instead he turned his attention to Linka, who was still unconscious. She was looking very pale, but the bleeding had slowed down some. "Linka, babe, are you okay?" he said softly, holding her hand.

He really wanted her to respond. When she didn't he almost felt as if he could cry, but he managed to hold back his feelings for the sake of everyone else. He brushed her hair gently out of her face. "Come on, babe. Stay strong. You're gonna make it." Silently he willed the Geo-cruiser to fly faster, while at the same time swearing revenge if Linka did not make it.

The fallout from the explosion was horrible, both literally and figuratively. On the physical side, the nuclear blast left the former island paradise totally uninhabitable. Probably for thousands of years. It was exactly the kind of ecological disaster the Planeteers had been trying to avoid.

The United States Marines who responded to the blast managed to capture Duke Nukem, who they placed in a secret underground containment unit somewhere in the Nevada dessert. The Planeteers handed Plunder over to the United Nations Peace Keeping forces. Dr. Blight was assumed dead, a victim of the blast. They figured that at least they would not have those eco-villains to deal with anymore, though they doubted that was worth the price they paid.

The political fallout was another thing altogether. It was the thing that drove the final wedge between the Planeteers.

Plunder had not been joking when he told Wheeler that he had friends in high places. He owned the controlling interest in several media conglomerates, and put the pressure on them to twist the story against the Planeteers. They were portrayed by major news outlets as "eco-terrorists," crazy liberals who cared more about the environment than human life. Plunder himself managed to escape any criminal penalties, though it cost him a fortune in attorney's fees and bribes.

His plan worked better than he had hoped. There was an enormous public outcry against the Planeteers and calls for them to disband. The U.S. government took on a full investigation of their activities, alarmed that they seemed to be operating outside of any legal controls. Of course Plunder managed to provide the special committee in charge of the investigation with all sorts of witnesses to the Planeteers' recklessness.

Within a few months the Planeteers went their separate ways. Ma-ti was the first to leave. Disillusioned with the governments of the western world, he decided to return to his people and a simpler way of life. Gi was next, giving into pressure from her family to go to college and earn a respectable career. Kwame and Linka decided college was the way to go as well.

Wheeler simply decided to work, and to try to distance himself from the Planeteer name as much as possible. He convinced Linka to move in with him, her brush with death finally making him brave enough to truly declare his love to her. Besides, it took several months for her to recover from the gunshot and subsequent surgeries, and she really needed his help. He supported Linka through college, and they were married shortly after she earned her bachelor's degree.

Plunder could have left it at that. The Planeteers had split up. They were not going to be bothering him anymore. But he wanted revenge. He did not just want to give them a bad reputation, he wanted to see them suffer. This time, though, he was not going to act rashly. He was going to bide his time, to watch every move they made.

And even if he did not feel that they had done enough to him personally to warrant that kind of revenge, he felt as though he somehow owed it to Dr. Blight to avenge her death. Those Planeteers would travel halfway around the world to save a whale, but they left her laying injured on the floor to die.

It wasn't as if the two of them had been in love or anything like that. But they were… close. They had been through a lot together. Looten Plunder did not have many people that he could call friends, but she was one of them. And her death really bothered him, more so than almost anything else that had he had ever experienced.

So after everything had settled, his name was cleared and the Planeteers split up, Plunder started planning his ultimate revenge.

* * *

Author's note: I don't really know why this story is so dark and angsty. I'm not the dark and angsty kind of person, I'm actually pretty happy with life. Maybe my writing is a way to get out those kind of feelings? I dunno.


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